Rivers to partner with ECOWAS Court of Justice

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the state’s Ministry of Justice will partner with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, on sharing of ideas, knowledge and the training of its legal officers.

Governor Wike made the declaration when he received the President of the ECOWAS Court, Hon. Justice Chijioke Woke and his entourage in Government House, Port Harcourt.

Governor Wike thanked the president for coming to Rivers State to enlighten its citizens about the of the court’s .existence. Also thanking the ECOWAS president for visiting the courts, the governor noted that the visit to the courts would have been impossible last year had taken place last year because they were all shut by the Rotimi Amaechi-led administration.

He said the shutting down of courts for one year by the immediate administration was a sad reflection on how the society regards the judicial arm of government in Nigeria. He recalled the suffering of many inmates who had completely served their prison terms but could not gain their freedom because of the closure of the courts by the Amaechi’s government.

Reassuring the ECOWAS court’s president of his administration’s commitment to the rule of law, the governor said:”My administration believes in the protection of human rights. It is important that people should have access to justice and so we are willing to partner with you in terms of sharing ideas, knowledge, training and retraining of our legal officers in the Ministry of Justice”.